A B 2 0 11 a n d S B 6 I m p l e m e n t i n g O r d i n a n c e a n d A m e n d m e n t s t o D o w n t o w n E n c i n i t a s a n d N o r t h 1 0 1 C o r r i d o r S p e c i f i c P l a n s
Case No. PLCY-007683-2024
City Council
Item 10B
August 12, 2026
Project Team Introductions
City of Encinitas
Sara Cadona, Project Manager
Scott Drapkin, Director of Development Services
Consultant Team
Matt Gelbman, Senior Urban Planner
2 Background
• June 2023, City Council and Planning Commission held a joint study session to discuss AB 2011 and SB 6. Council directed staff to return with an initiation to implement these bills. • August 2023, City Council initiated amendments to Municipal Code and Local Coastal Program for AB 2011 and SB 6 implementing ordinance and develop objective design standards (ODS) for Downtown Encinitas and North 101 Corridor Specific Plans. • August 2023, City Council approved grant application for SANDAG HAP Cycle 2 grant funded by HCD’s REAP 2.0 Program.
• October 2023, City received full grant request of $573,000 with $329,145 allocated for AB 2011 and SB 6 work effort. HCD grant funding is fully covering cost of the consultant to complete this work effort.
• September 2024, City Council executed a professional services agreement with Ascent.
Grant Overview
City received $329,145 of HCD funding (REAP 2.0) must be complete by August 31, 2026.
Purpose of grant: Establish local procedures through a citywide implementing ordinance and develop ODS to regulate projects utilizing State housing law.
Grant qualifying criteria:
• Project shall be in Mobility Hub, Transit Priority Area (TPA) or Low VMT Area. • Accelerate infill development that facilitates housing supply, choice, and affordability. • Reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT).
• Affirmatively further fair housing, community engagement and outreach.
Two specific plans met grant criteria; highest concentration of AB 2011 and SB 6 eligible sites, at time of grant application.
• City can only administer ODS for developments utilizing State law. • Specific plans are dated and do not have ODS.
4 Public Outreach
5 1. April 15, 2025 - Community Workshop 1
2. July 9, 2025 - Community Workshop 2 with a
focus on the Downtown Encinitas Specific Plan
3. July 15, 2025 - Community Workshop 3 with a
focus on the North 101 Corridor Specific Plan
4. October 15 - November 19, 2025, draft
document made available for public review
5. October 29, 2025 – Joint City Council and
Planning Commission Special Meeting
City Council and Planning Commission
Special Joint Workshop
6 Feedback received on October 29, 2025, joint workshop covered several topics including: noise, parking, permeable surfaces, landscaping, preserving mature trees, open space, color and materials, and direction to explore how ODS would interact with State Density Bonus Law.
Attachment 4 of the staff report includes staff’s responses on what has or hasn’t been incorporated into ODS.
Planning Commission Approval - April 16, 2026
1. Increase maximum allowed deviation percentage
for numerical ODS from 10% to 15%
2. Remove fences and walls from being allowed within
front yard setback
3. Allow fences and walls in front yard setback of
commercial use that are selling alcohol per the ABC
licensing requirements
4. Call out the stories of the building in figure
5. Remove brick from materials that cannot be painted
6. Remove wood cladding from materials that cannot
be painted
7. Decrease minimum required common open space
from 200 SF/unit to 50 SF/unit
8. Decrease minimum required private outdoor
amenity space from 100 SF/unit to 50 SF/unit
9. Decrease combined amenity space and open space
from 300 SF/unit to 100 SF/unit
10.Allow common open space in its entirety to be
counted toward required landscaping requirements
11.Remove required common open space area shall
be located only on ground level
12.Add language that clarifies 30 trees/net acre
requirement is required for entire project site
13.Remove standard that regulates freestanding walls
and fences in front yard setback
7 Downtown Encinitas and North 101 Corridor Specific Plans Suggested Revisions:
Project Overview and Purpose
• City take a proactive approach to ensure the City has tools to establish maximum allowed local control, as allowed under State law, to regulate multifamily and mixed-use development projects.
• First tool is a citywide implementing ordinance, to establish clear procedures to ensure compliance with these complex State housing laws (short review timeframes and nuanced development standards).
• Second tool is objective design standards (ODS), not only applicable to AB 2011/SB 6 projects but all multifamily and mixed-use projects within the Downtown Encinitas and North 101 Corridor Specific Plans specific plan areas, which are standards that can be used to help preserve community character
• Without ODS, City has less control over ALL multifamily/mixed-use buildings, including residential buildings over 3 stories.
8 AB 2011 / SB 6 Citywide
Implementing Ordinance including
AB 2243 and AB 893 Amendments
9 Overview of AB 2011, SB 6, AB 2243, and AB 893
• AB 2011 and SB 6 (2022) allow multifamily and mixed-use residential development in commercial zones where “office, retail, or parking are principally permitted uses” —historically prohibited.
• Projects must satisfy eligibility criteria, development standards, and labor requirements.
• AB 2243 (2024) clarified regulations and increased number of sites eligible to utilize these bills to develop housing.
• AB 893 (2025) amended regulations for AB 2011 project types, specifically for proximity near college campuses (Mira Costa College does not qualify). 10 AB 2011 / SB 6 Project Types
11 • Three project types based on eligibility criteria. • Different development standards and requirements for each project type. • All three project types allow multifamily or mixed-use (residential and commercial).
AB 2011 (100%
Affordable)
AB 2011
(Mixed-Income)
SB 6
(No Affordable
Units Required)
State Law Maximum and Minimum Densities
12 Project
Type
AB 2011 (100%
Affordable) AB 2011 (Mixed-Income)
SB 6 (No
Affordable Units
Required)
Maximum
Allowed
Density
No Maximum
Limit
< 1 acre = 30 du/acre
>1 acre, Commercial Corridor and street ROW is less than 100 feet = 40 du/acre
>1 acre, Commercial Corridor and street ROW is of 100 feet or greater = 60 du/acre
½ Mile of Major Transit and very low vehicle travel area = 80 du/acre No Maximum
Limit
Minimum
Allowed
Density
R-30 standards: 30
du/acre
Deemed Consistent before Jan. 1, 2027 = 50% or greater of maximum allowed density, or 75% or greater within ½ mile rail station Deemed Consistent after Jan. 1, 2027 = 75% or greater of maximum allowed density
Existing Building Conversion – no minimum or maximum density R-30 standards: 30
du/acre
Other Key State Law Development Standards
13 Project
Type AB 2011 (100% Affordable) AB 2011 (Mixed-Income) SB 6 (No Affordability Required) Height R-30 standards: Max = 39
feet (pitched roof) Maximum = 35- 45 feet (based on ROW) R-30 standards: Max = 39 feet (pitched roof) Setbacks R-30 standards: 10 feet
(Front, Rear, Sides)
“Closest zone”: 0 – 20 feet (Front, Rear, Sides). 25 ft from commercial corridor (aboveground parking).
R-30 standards: 10 feet
(Front, Rear, Sides)
Parking R-30 standards: EMC 30.16
No parking required, except required parking for
bicycle, electric and are accessible to persons with
disabilities, that would have otherwise applied to the
development standard if this article did not apply
R-30 standards: EMC 30.16
CEQA
Review
Exempt, but requires
a Phase 1 Environmental
Assessment
Exempt, but requires a Phase 1 Environmental
Assessment
Not exempt, unless SB 35
invoked
Labor Prevailing wage Prevailing wage Prevailing wage and “skilled and trained workforce”
Potentially Eligible Sites
14 City tool to initially screen for sites potentially eligible under AB 2011 or SB 6.
This is an initial screening tool.
Applicants are required to
consult with staff for questions
and to verify eligibility.
https://www.encinitasca.gov/g
overnment/departments/develo
pment-services/policy-planninghousing/policy-planning/ab2011-and-sb-6-implementation AB 2011 / SB 6 Development Process
15 • Zero applications in Encinitas and all jurisdictions in County (HCD Dashboard: 2025 Annual Progress Report).
• Citywide Implementing Ordinance will add a new Chapter to Encinitas Municipal Code.
• All project types require development application and Design Review approval.
• Coastal Act applies, including a Coastal Development Permit. • AB 2011/SB 6 project types may utilize Density Bonus law.
Objective Design Standards for the
Downtown Encinitas and North 101
Corridor Specific Plans
16 What are Objective Design Standards(ODS)?
17 Objective design standards (ODS) means a design standard that involves no personal or subjective judgment.
Defined in Gov. Code Section 66300(a)(7).
Example:
Design Guideline - Subjective Design Standard – Objective Provide articulation to reduce the
apparent mass and scale of the building,
and to be sensitive to the surrounding
neighborhood.
For every 100 feet of building length,
there shall be a plane- break along the
façade comprised of an offset of at least
15 feet in depth by 15 feet in width.
Purpose of Objective Design Standards (ODS)
• State housing laws limit local control, requiring cities to only apply objective standards and cannot rely on subjective discretion.
• Maintain maximum allowed local control over design of not only AB 2011/SB 6 but ALL multi-family residential and mixed-use development projects to help preserve community character.
• Amend Downtown Encinitas and N101 Corridor Specific Plans to add tools to regulate development projects.
• ODS will be applicable unless standard precludes development from being built at residential density allowed through State law.
18 1. SITE PLANNING
19 Goal: Define standards related to the
design of a site and its adjacencies.
• Setbacks and stepbacks adjacent to
existing single family/duplex residential
• Building orientation
• Transitions
Setbacks
Building Orientation
Stepbacks
Stepbacks
Setbacks
Building
orientation
2. BUILDING DESIGN
20 Upper-Story
Facade Offset
Upper-Story
Facade
Variation
Building
Separation
Volumetric
Break
Roof Variation
Facade Design
Elements
2. BUILDING DESIGN
21 Roof variation
Upper-Story Facade
offsets
Building
separation
Façade
variation
Volumetric
break
Goal: Break-up bulk and massing and
provide variation in buildings.
• Minimize large building volumes
• Facade offsets
• Facade variation
• Roof treatment standards
Minimize large
building volumes
Facade
offsets
Facade
variation
Roof
variation
3. GROUND-FLOOR TREATMENT
22 Goal: Create active and engaging
street fronts for residential and
commercial uses.
• Transparency
• Openings
• Building entries
• Architecture elements and details Standards for shared entries in residential buildings
Transparencies
and openings
Entries with
defining features
Architecture elements
and details
Standards for
individual
residential entries
Design elements
Transparencies Entries
4. OPEN SPACE
23 Goal: Requirements for the size,
dimensions, and features to include in
common and private outdoor amenity
spaces.
• Common open space
• Private outdoor amenity space
Common Open Space
Private Outdoor Amenity Space
Requirements for planting, design
features, landscaping, and other
open space elements
Minimum common open
space requirements
Standards for private
outdoor amenity space
5. OTHER TOPICS
24 Goal: Requirements that ensure adequate circulation and access, treatment of materials, lighting and other elements that enhance quality of design.
• Exterior finish materials
• Landscaping
• Walls/fencing
• Lighting
• Access, parking, and circulation
• Service areas, storage, and utilities
Lighting
Parking
Materials Landscape
Access and
circulation Standards for
exterior finish
materials
Landscaping
Parking
Lighting
Utilities and
service areas
Amendments to the Downtown Encinitas and North 101
Corridor Specific Plans
• Minor amendments to Specific Plans to reference and incorporate the ODS.
• ODS are added as Appendix to Specific Plans (Chapter 12 for Downtown Encinitas and Chapter 11 for North 101 Corridor). 25 Staff Recommendation
The City Council introduce City Council Ordinance No. 2026-10 titled, “An Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Encinitas, California, adding Chapter 30.21 Residential in Commercial Zones Pursuant to State law to Title 30 Zoning of the Encinitas Municipal Code to implement AB 2011 and SB 6 citywide and amendments to reference and incorporate the objective design standards as Chapter 12, Appendix in the Downtown Encinitas Specific Plan and as Chapter 11, Appendix in the North 101 Corridor Specific Plan”.
26 A B 2 0 11 a n d S B 6 I m p l e m e n t i n g O r d i n a n c e a n d A m e n d m e n t s t o D o w n t o w n E n c i n i t a s a n d N o r t h 1 0 1 C o r r i d o r S p e c i f i c P l a n s
Case No. PLCY-007683-2024
City Council
Item 10B
August 12, 2026